The New Orleans City Planning Commission will conduct a nationwide search for a new executive director, with the goal of making a selection by the end of July, the commission decided Tuesday. The commission fired its longtime director, Yolanda Rodriguez, last week.

Chairman Craig Mitchell appointed a four-member search committee and laid out an aggressive timetable for its work that calls for advertising the position by June 26, setting an application deadline of July 17 and picking a new director by July 30. Mitchell acknowledged that the timetable could prove too optimistic, however.

After failing at its meeting last week to choose either an interim or permanent director, the commission apparently has decided not to formally name an interim director. Deputy Director Leslie Alley will continue to act as interim director.

Although the salary the commission will offer the new director has not been formally set, Rodriguez was making $122,000 a year, Mitchell noted.

Mitchell said he is hopeful the commission will not have to hire a professional search firm, which would likely extend the timetable he laid out, but he did not rule out that possibility.

Mitchell named Nolan Marshall III, one of the commission's newest members, to chair the search committee. The other members are Lois Carlos-Lawrence, Robert Steeg and Kyle Wedberg. The committee tentatively set its first meeting for Monday morning.

Nick Kindel with the Committee for a Better New Orleans read a statement to the commission on behalf of the group's president, Keith Twitchell, about the qualities the new director should have. Among other things, the statement said that if the new director turns out to be a past or present New Orleanian, "he or she absolutely cannot be perceived as being part of any political structure or affiliation" and must "have the independence to balance the interests of government, business, neighborhoods and residents."

Although the statement did not mention any specific political affiliations, it could be seen as a response to speculation in some quarters that Mayor Mitch Landrieu may have a preferred candidate he wants the commission to choose.